What is the most iconic, national Romantic sound of Finland, the land of a thousand lakes? If we were talking about metal, it would boil down to AMORPHIS, naturally, and, in terms of classical music, it would be Jean Sibelius. The closest thing to that sort of panoramic, musical landscape outside either of these would be the symphonic prog and jazz-rock fusion of Pekka Pohjola, the bassist who rose to fame in the ranks of the Finnish prog monolith, WIGWAM, in the early 1970s and pursued a highly expansive solo career after contributing to a few of their seminal albums. His early solo albums were notably influenced by the instrumental side of Frank Zappa while retaining that distinct national Romantic edge, but his later albums in the 1980s marked a rather radical departure from this fantasy- and nature-inspired symphonic prog. Still, underneath all the jazz-fusion leanings, the somewhat Sibelian feel remained intact. One of the highlights of this era is the 1985 album, “Space Waltz.” As to the album’s release info, the Internet sources cannot seem to agree, and I’ve lost my physical copy somewhere over the years to verify it from the very source. According to Spotify, the album was released via Rockadillo Records, whereas some other online sources claim otherwise. My other Pohjola albums are all Rockadillo releases, so I’ll go with that. Then, there is the question of the album’s actual release date. You cannot come across any reliable information about it online, so I’ll trust Spotify on this one, as well; it says the album came out on January 1st, 1985. So, I’m a little late with this anniversary review. I got tricked by some other online sources claiming it came out in the summer, so I postponed writing this piece until now. My bad.
This album is predominantly synth-driven, although it also marks the welcome return of the great Seppo Tyni on guitar. His signature style was one of the elements that elevated some of the previous albums to a league of their own, albums such as “Kätkävaaran Lohikäärme” (1980), which was the only album by the short-lived supergroup, PEKKA POHJOLA GROUP. On this 1985 endeavor, the synthesizers are not employed to emulate real instruments, which approach did go against the general zeitgeist of the era; instead, the synths are harnessed to bring all sorts of sci-fi sounds to the forefront, making this selection quite a unique prog effort. Thus, the album has aged rather nicely, almost as though transcending its time. Of course, it helps that the songcraft is of that familiar, high-quality Pekka Pohjola variety, right from the ECM-jazz-tinted opener, “American Carousel,” to the utterly gloomy, piano-driven “Changing Waters,” the closer that was later reworked into the title track of Pohjola’s 1992 album.
Speaking of gloomy, it seems to be the most descriptive adjective to the album as a whole. Perhaps something rubbed off while making the previous, synth-driven 1983 soundtrack album, “Jokamies,” which remains the downright most brooding and unsettling album in Pohjola‘s versatile back catalog. A particularly nice little moment of gloom is the slower reworking of the WIGWAM track, “P.K.’s Supermarket,” from the haunting 1973 album, “Fairyport.” This 1985 rendition goes by the title “Cat Boulevard.” The somewhat deranged cabaret feel in the song would be a perfect fit for a game soundtrack in this day and age. Then again, with the tempo sped up a notch, this song would go down pretty well on a HAKEN album, even.
That said, the title track kicks off with a synth motif that HAKEN would be proud of, just as well. The song features proggy time signatures, circus-music breaks, soaring guitar and synth legatos. Combining Pohjola‘s signature quirks, those Sibelian, classical leanings, the clean-shaven jazz-rock fusion of the era, and the occasional side-steps into the realm of symphonic prog, “Space Waltz” – the song and the album as a whole – has stood the test of time magnificently. This 5-track endeavor ranks easily among Pohjola‘s best works.
According to Spotify stats, the standout track in this selection is the 14-minute epic, “Risto,” the song that became a live staple, too. I had the privilege of witnessing Pekka Pohjola play this song live once before he passed away in 2008 – and, yes, it slapped! Its studio version slaps, too. The song builds up tension slowly, beginning with some pastoral synth and guitar textures and exploding into a maelstrom of emotion around the middle. On this track, especially, guitarist Tyni is on fire.
Considering how the 1980s were not exactly the golden age of progressive rock, what with all the über-commercial excursions and New Age noodlings, Pekka Pohjola‘s “Space Waltz” stands out as an uncompromising tour de force in artistic integrity. Even with some of the keyboard sounds giving away that the album was made in the 1980s, the tight songcraft totally makes up for it. In fact, the somewhat outdated electric piano sounds add a layer of almost mystical charm to the album now. Moreover, even with all the jazz-fusion adornments, Pohjola‘s songcraft resonates thick with that Sibelian, national Romantic air – that signature Pohjola sound that has gained fans across the board, from metal bassists such as Lauri Porra of STRATOVARIUS to trip-hop luminaries such as DJ Shadow. That is no small feat, I would say.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- American Carousel
- Cat Boulevard
- Space Waltz
- Risto
- Changing Waters
Lineup
Pekka Pohjola – bass, keyboards
Seppo Tyni – guitars (tracks 1 – 5)
Jussi Liski – keyboards
Timo Vesajoki – keyboards
Keimo Hirvonen – drums
Esa Kaartamo – vocals on track 7
Peter Lerche – guitars on tracks 6 – 9
T.T. Oksala – guitars on tracks 6 & 7
Leevi Leppänen – drums on tracks 6 & 7
Label
Pohjola Records / Rockadillo
